1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft and, in particular, to control surfaces for an aircraft. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for managing a configuration of a number of control surfaces for an aircraft.
2. Background
Control surfaces are present on an aircraft. A control surface allows a pilot to adjust the flight of an aircraft. A control surface may be used to control the flight of an aircraft through various axes with respect to the aircraft. For example, a control surface may be used to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw of an aircraft.
Primary control surfaces allow a pilot to control the yaw, pitch, and/or roll of an aircraft. Primary control surfaces include ailerons, rudders, and elevators. All other control surfaces are secondary control surfaces. Secondary control surfaces may change the energy rate of the aircraft. For example, a secondary control surface may be a control surface that changes drag. Secondary control surfaces include, for example, flaps, slats, spoilers, airbrakes, and other types of control surfaces.
During the flight of an aircraft, pilots are often given instructions to extend control surfaces, such as flaps. The extension of flaps may be used to change the speed of the aircraft. In particular, extending the flaps may slow down the speed of the aircraft and/or change the glide path of the aircraft. Typically, the pilot may extend the flaps at a particular location during the flight of the aircraft. This location may be described in terms of latitude, longitude, and altitude. The change in the flight of the aircraft may be used to manage air traffic flow around areas, such as airports.
Additionally, in some cases, the extension of the flap also may be performed at a particular point in time, in addition to a given latitude, longitude, and altitude. With this type of extension of flaps, the change in the flight of the aircraft may be referred to as a four-dimensional flight path. The use of four dimensions may be employed to fit more aircraft into the same airspace.
Currently, the changes in flap configurations are set based on aircraft speed. Once a selected aircraft speed is reached, a particular instruction may be given to change the configuration of a flap.
With flight planning using four dimensions, the timing of changes in the configuration of flaps becomes more important in managing traffic. Additionally, the timing of and the changes in the configuration of flaps may be important to fuel usage of the aircraft during flight. Depending on how and when flaps are extended, fuel usage may be increased to amounts that may be less desirable.
Thus, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least one of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.